The Zora of the Opera
by Fallen red rose
Summary: Finally, he blended in. Erik used to find it hard, but everyone seemed too distracted to spread rumors of the Opera Ghost. And here's why... [ZeldaPhantom crossover. Please R&R. GerardBased.]
1. A Nightmare of Dreams

**This is my first Zelda/Phantom crossover, and also my first Zelda fan-fiction. So, be nice.**

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It all started with that strange night at the masquerade, when I saw many masks speak of them. Those strange rumors of people strange beyond reality. Zora, they were called.And what a race they were.  
These people were said to be like fish, and from a distant land.They always are.  
I usually never bothered with useless rumor such as this.

But the fact that they could live both in water and on land fascinated me.  
I had actually hoped to meet one, for a short time. But after my senses came to me, I pushed it away.  
These people were probably a hoax. Just normal humans in costumes, trying to make money.

But, my curiosity eventually got the better of me. I would mentally be torn to pieces if I did not.  
My sources told me that they were in a circus, that would be traveling not far from the Opera House.  
They would be preforming at 5 o'clock tomorrow night. And I would be there.

And that was the night that would change everything. For the better and for the worse.

I was making my way to the tent, when I saw a peculiar creature lying on the ground.It was an odd creature,  
and it took me less than a moment to realize; this was a Zora.  
It's skin was sleek; like a fish with smaller scales,yet it looked quite durable above water as well.  
The skin was white and blue; and odd color for skin if I was ever asked for my opinion.  
It had what looked like a fin attached to it's head, and fins attached to it's arms. It's feet were webbed.

It lay on it's stomach, so I could not tell much of the creature. Wrapped around it was seaweed,  
but it looked strange; the seaweed was covered in an odd purple liquid. I frowned; Zora blood.  
I figured this from the fact that since it lived underwater, then it must have had cooler blood.  
Which means that the blood must have been a lighter color of blue, unlike humans,  
who have a purple colored blood, which turns red when it hits the air. Zora blood would _turn_ purple.

The seaweed was wrapped tightly around the Zora's arms, legs, and torso like clothing.  
There were thin marks in the seaweed clothing, that revealed blood. This Zora was attacked.  
Kneeling on the left-side of the creature, trying to decide whether I pitied it, or I would leave it there.  
'Had the attackers had actually succeeded in killing the creature?' I wondered.

I was pondering this. I slowly touched a wound on the creature's back. It jolted and I jumped back.  
It propped itself up on it's arms. It turned it's head both ways in one swooping movement.  
Slowly, it looked up into my eyes, staring. I stared back. Something during that stare that changed me.  
Because during that stare, I smiled. I smiled at the innocence in that Zora's eyes, which I did not have.

"Who are you?" I asked the creature. It looked back to me with a bit of surprise.

"People say not who, _what_ otherwise." It answered. It was struggling. It did not speak well.  
I stood up; it followed. My 6'2" frame and towering it's 5'3". It stared, with wonder, into my eyes.

"What is your name?" I asked. It looked down at the ground.

"I had no any name." Was it's answer. I blinked. I was barely understanding it, but it was getting more confusing.

"You do not have a name? Well then, what are you called?" I asked.

"Zora called am I. We all called are Zora. We name no have." It replied.

"Well then, name yourself. It should be easy. Use the name you like to be called." I said,  
and almost turned to leave it there. It put a cold, scaled hand onto my shoulder. I stopped.

"I want you name to me." It said, looking slowly up into my eyes. I opened my mouth to reply,  
but no words came to me. I had nothing to say to that. I had never named anyone before.

"Where are you from?" I asked. It looked up at me.

"Hylia. Lake." It said.

"Lake Hylia? That is right. And this may sound like an odd question, but; are you a girl, or a boy?" I asked.  
I could not tell for myself, so I asked. It tilted it's head to the side, as if it did not understand.

"No know." Was all it said. I blinked. How could it _not_ know? I stared in disbelief for a moment.  
I heard a crash and jumped back with surprise. It jumped up close to me, burying it's face in my chest.  
It shivered as if cold, and whispered words in a language I could not make out. I looked around.  
They had noticed it missing and that made them angry. If they found me... I put a hand on it's shoulder.

"I cannot stay. It is too dangerous. I have to go. You shall be fine, they will take you home now."  
I said, pushing it away. The last I saw of it was a look of fear, and a gasp of shock. I ran.  
If I had stayed any longer, I would not have been able to escape. I skidded to a stop. I heard voices.  
I looked around, and saw no one. I was loosing my senses, remembering last time this happened.

I fell down on my knees; pounded with horrible memories. No, they would not get the better of me.  
I moaned, how loud I did not know. I struggled to stand. Wobbling, I made my way to Opera House.  
My vision was blurred as I made my way down the cellars. I stumbled too many times to count.

I finally made it to the edge of the lake. What now? I sat down, fighting to keep consciousness.  
That battle I lost. I fell to the ground. All I saw was a white blur near me, before all went black.  
**--------------------------------- **

**Please R&R!  
**


	2. Zora in the Water

**obsessedbyerik.**

2 hours? This is GerardErik, it doesn't take 2 hours to get to the lair. And he didn't faint, he lost consciousness.  
And that wasn't the Zora he saw before he lost consciousness. It was someone else. And it was clinging to him.  
It was afraid of it's attackers coming back for it. Wouldn't you be scared if someone attacked you,then came back?  
And I think the lake is a bit polluted, but I was thinking about the same thing. :D

**LetsTwistAnotherFairyTale.**

The other reviewer liked my story, they just had a bit of constructive critism for me. I like that. To an extent.  
I am very glad you like my story, and I am especially thankful that you think I am a skilled writer. Thank you!  
I love it when people enjoy my reading, because that's really what it's about; everyone enjoying it.

**arachnid.**

I don't really agree with you about this story being better than the others, but I am glad you enjoy this one.  
And Erik lost consciousness because he was, not only tired in the first place (I don't think he would sleep much, after The Fire, do you?), and because he was stopping himself from reliving the memories. Did that help you any?  
I was a bit worried about the Zora's speech, I'm glad it was good. I am more glad you think it was in-character.  
I'm a member of the IPFC; the Institution for the Protection of Fictional Characters. We strive for in-characterness. And the Zora does not know, because it was raised in captivity, and does not know what 'genders' are.

And no, there will not be _too_ much embarressment. On the Zora's behalf. Glad you like. I really am!

Thank you guys _**so**_ much for your reviews!  
And here is chapter 2:

((BEGINNING OF CHAPTER))

**+---Erik's P.O.V.---+ **

I regained consciousness. Where was I?.. I remembered where I was now, I was at the edge of the lake. I slowly opened my eyes, to see someone I had not expected.

"Hello Erik." She said, smiling

"Christine? Is that you?" I asked, dumbly. That would explain the white blur I saw earlier...  
I sat up. Christine was seated next to me. I looked around.

"I wondered when you would wake, my Angel. You had me worried, fainting like that." She said. "What happened?"

"I did not 'faint', and nothing is wrong. I just, have not had much sleep since you left.  
I am glad you are here, Christine. But, why?" I asked. She smiled at me.

"I wanted to see you, is that so wrong?" She asked.

"No, no. It is not wrong at all. I am just surprised, that is all." I replied. She hugged me.  
I was dazed momentarily, then returned her embrace. "I feel better now that you are here, Christine."

"Can we continue our lessons, just like before, Erik? I hate not seeing you every day, like I used to.  
You are like a father to me, and and friend. Please can we try again?" She begged. I smiled,  
and turned her head to face mine.

"You are always welcome here, my dear. Always." I replied. We sat there locked in eachother's gaze.  
It was bliss. And it was doomed to end. I heard a scream and a loud splash. It made Christine jump.  
It did not take me long to figure out who had made the scream. A groan accompanied the discovery.  
_The Zora._ What a nuisance it had turned out to be! It must have followed me here, and gotten lost.  
And now, it had fallen into the water trap!

"Darn that creature!" I growled, standing up. Christine was apparently confused.

"What creature? Is something wrong, Erik?" She asked me. I grabbed her arm, and dragged her along.  
I made my way through a few hallways, until I came to the hallway that led to the water trap.  
Christine's eyes went wide at the contraption. She was about to say something, when she gasped.  
I was puzzled at first, then I saw it too. The Zora was sitting on the bottom, looking mournful.

"What _is_ that, Erik?" She whispered. I sighed.

"It is a Zora, Christine. No doubt you have heard of them." I replied. She raised an eyebrow.

"I thought they were just a hoax. Are they really fish-people?" She asked, confused. I shook my head.

"Unfortunately for me, no. It is really what they say it is." I replied, feeling agitated.

"It? I am sure that there would be a difference between a man and a woman, even for Zoras." She said.  
I frowned. I was not sure if I should tell her that I did not know whether it was a male or female.  
"You _do_ know whether it is a man or a woman, right?" I hesitated, then shook my head.

"It did not know, and neither do I." I explained, gloomily.

"How could the Zora _not_ know?" She asked.

"That is what I said, when it told me that." I replied.

"Well, it cannot just stay in there, Erik. You need get it out of there before it gets hurt!" She told me. I scoffed.

"Let it. Then I shall be rid of the creature. I do not want to have to take care of something." I stated.  
And that was suppose to be the end of the discussion. But Christine shook her head.

"You are going to let it go, Erik. _Now_." She declared. I gave her an 'oh-really' look. It did not work.  
"Erik, now." I groaned, and lifted the grate. I saw the Zora look up, and swim to the top. It smiled.  
Christine smiled too. "Aw, it's so beautiful." I rolled my eyes. Christine stroked it's face.  
The Zora suddenly swam back wards and did a flip in the air. Christine laughed and smiled.  
Why I could I never make her laugh like that? I frowned.

"Women." I muttered. Christine moaned, turned towards me, and frowned.

"Men." She retorted. I glared at her. The Zora climbed out of the water, and smiled.  
Then it noticed the two of us frowning at eachother, and looked puzzled. It did a dolphin call.  
Christine and I turned, at the same time, and raised an eyebrow at this weird creature.

Then, it laughed. It was a kind of a squeak, but it filled us with joy. We could not help but smile.  
I do not know what kind of magic that creature had to use on us, but I can now say, that it worked.  
We laughed together, then hugged. The anger between Christine and I had vanished, as if never there.  
The Zora smiled at the two of us, then jumped up and down. What a giddy creature.

"Well Erik, now we shall never 'get rid' of it. But we shall have to find out it's gender." She said.  
The Zora nodded, not completely understanding. I nodded as well.

"How about we go home, and think about it?" I asked, smiling. Christine smiled too, and nodded.  
We took eachother's hand. The Zora ran over and took mine. I forced a smile. There was something about it...  
We walked down the hallways, and got into the boat. The Zora sat next the Christine, after a fuss.  
I pushed us along, and Christine hummed. The Zora tried humming with her, but I could not hear it,  
through Christine's laughter. When we finally arrived, I helped Christine, and the teetering Zora, out.

Now, the real adventure will begin.

((END OF CHAPTER))

Please remember to read and review! I love that! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I do!


	3. The Name Game!

**obsessedbyerik**:

Yeah. ;) A Zora stuck in the water trap. Quite expected, right? And it hasn't spoken to Christine _yet_, 'tis all.  
I **_loved_** the magic part. It was my favorite part of writing that chapter. Glad you liked it!  
I guess I didn't think the whole embrace thing over very much, but it made sense then because he _was_ like a father to her,  
and even though some children may argue with their parents, the whole relationship is the type to heal.  
Lame reason I guess. But glad you mentioned it so I could think it over. :)  
Christine wasn't on top of him, she was next to him and leaning over. Make a bit more sense?  
They would never get rid of it because, after it did something so magical to them, it would be very hard to send it away.  
And, fyi, this ISN'T my first story. :P It's like, my 3rd. ;D Never mind. I'm tired.

**My Elphie**:

Yeah. Hey, I'm gonna have to use that at some point... ;) I guess she would have asked,  
but I'm kinda hoping that Christine has a bit more of a backbone, with Raoul's support so much.  
I'm glad you like it! I hope you continue to think so. :)

Chapter 3: The Name Game:

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+---Erik's P.O.V.---+ 

Christine returned to continue her singing lessons, which is quite the opposite of the expected.  
I also gained the odd luck of finding a Zora, which proved to be a blessing and a curse.  
It was a wonder that the strange creature even existed, much less me coming upon one.

The Zora stood not far off the shore of the lake as I locked the gondola safely into place.  
I turned to see that Christine stood with her hands behind her back, smiling at me. I smiled uneasily.  
What could have changed her mind about me? Something had happened up there, and I was not told.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Zora survey Christine's posture, and duplicate it. My smile grew.  
The Zora leaned forward a bit farther, pushing it's arms into it's back, seeing how far it could lean.  
Then it fell forward. _The clumsy creature._ I had actually imagined Zora's to be adaptable, smart,  
graceful, and beautiful creatures. Either this one is quite different, or Zora are not what they seem.

Christine turned quickly and knelt down to the creature, which was still on it's back.  
She frowned with pity, and touched it's back. Then she pulled her hand away quickly.  
She gasped with horror, and touched it's back again. The Zora slowly looked up, and stared at me.

"Erik, what _is_ this?" Christine asked, extending her hand out to me, which had a strange wetness on it.

"Blood. The creature had been attacked. But it should be fine." I answered, coming out of the cool water.  
I sat with my back towards them at the organ. "It bounced up like a spring when I found it earlier."  
Then I realized that my genius had let that comment slip.

"So, you saw it earlier and didn't help it?" She asked. I sighed and nodded.

"I couldn't take the chance of getting caught near the creature, not with so many people around." I replied.

"So then you thought of yourself before a creature who was injured." She spat. I turned towards her.

"Can you blame me? Have you never heard what I have been through? It was a risk I wasn't taking,  
and if you knew my past you would probably agree." I told her. She frowned, then turned to the Zora.

"I bet I wouldn't." She said. She stood and got some of the fabric that hung around the broken mirrors.  
Tearing it into strips, she tucked it beneath the hardened seaweed that clothed the Zora. It sighed.  
I turned back to my organ, and began to play a simple piece. That way I could still hear Christine,  
but rid myself of my stress all the while. Also, I have the advantage of her not knowing I'm listening.

"There we go. Now, do you speak?"(Christine)

"Speak!" (Zora)

"Very good! Let's work on names. Can you say 'names'?"(Christine)

"Names."(Zora)

"Good. Now. My name is _Christine_. Say 'Christine'."(Christine)

"Kristin."(Zora)

"No. Christine. Christine."(Christine)

"Chris-tine. Christine!"(Zora)

"Wonderful! Christine is me."(Christine)

"Me?"(Zora)

"No. Me. You would say 'you are Christine'."(Christine)

"You Christine?"(Zora)

"Yes. I am Christine. Now, that is _Erik_. Say, 'Erik'."(Christine)

"Ewik."(Zora)

"Hm... No. Close, but not quite. It's Erik."(Christine)

"Ewike."(Zora)

"Um, no. Erik. Say it slowly, then faster."(Christine)

"Errrr-ick. Erik. Erik?."

"Yes, very good!"(Christine)

"You Erik?"(Zora)

"No, no, no. He's Erik. Him, over there. The one making the music."(Christine)

"Music?"(Zora)

"Yes, music. The music he makes is nice. Nice music."(Christine)

"Oh. Nice!"(Zora)

"Okay. Now you. What is your name?"(Christine)

"My name?"(Zora)

"Yes. Your name."(Christine)

"No name."(Zora)

"No name? Hm... Well then, we'll have to give you a name."(Christine)

"Give name?"(Zora)

"Yes. Erik? ...Erik!"(Christine)

I spun out of time, and my hands hit the wrong notes. I cringed at the horrid sound that filled my ears.  
Then I turned towards Christine.

"Obviously, you were unaware that I could hear you very clearly. What do you require?" I asked, frustrated.

"Can you help me name it, please?" She asked, smiling sweetly. I smirked.

"I have actually already considered that. I have a perfect name for it." I replied in my sarcastic tone.

"Wonderful!" She replied, clapping her hands together and obviously not noticing my sarcasm. "What?"

"Be ready... Alright: 'The Zora'."

"Erik!" She yelled angrily even as the words came out of my mouth. I smiled triumphantly. "A _real_ name."

"Wait just a moment, a gender is required for a name." I said. Finished I turned back to the organ and placed my hands on the keys.

"Female." She said. I paused and darted a glance in her direction.

"What?"

"I said, 'female'. It, is a she." She replied. I raised my singular eyebrow, waiting for her to prove this theory.She sighed, stood, and turned the Zora sideways. "If you look hard enough, you'll have your proof."  
I looked at the Zora, and said no more on the subject. Enough had been said already.  
"Now, Erik, I will have to put some real clothes on her. While I'm gone, you will find a name for her.  
Or atleast try, okay?" I mumbled my reply to that, and stood up from the organ.

She left, and I sat at my desk, wondering what I was going to do. For Christine, I decided to atleast try.  
I sat there for a while, brainstorming ideas. I had written down several names, but none seemed to fit.  
Then a name came into my head. Tamesis. The name meant 'goddess of the river', and had a nice ring to it.  
I tried to remember the meaning of name, and seemed to remember that it mean 'river goddess'. Fitting.

Standing, I turned to find Tamesis standing before me. She wore the gown from 'Don Juan Triumphant',  
that Christine had worn when she had last come here. Tamesis smiled and looked into my eyes.

"Name?" she asked, in a sweet and curious voice. The corset seemed to have changed her tone a bit.

"Oh yes. I have found a name for you." I answered. her faced brightened. "Tamesis."  
She suddenly embraced me in a tight hug. This experience is becoming stranger and stranger...

"Thank Erik." she replied. I smiled at her loss for language.

"You are welcome." I said, as I loosened her grip and pushed her away. I saw Christine step into the water.  
"Christine?" Looking back at me with regret, she silently told me she wanted to be home, not here.  
I do not know what made her so home-sick, but I knew that she had an urge to be home, with her family.  
I nodded, making my decision; I would take her home. I turned to Tamesis.

"Tamesis, I am going to take Christine home. You will stay here." I ordered. She frowned, then nodded.  
She went over to the organ, and sat down backwards on the bench. Smiling, she rocked back and forth.  
She would no doubt still be there, rocking, when I got back. It seemed that trip took forever, yet it ended.

When I returned, I found something quite different than I had expected. It took a moment to seep in.  
I stared at the sight for a moment as I entered the small pool inside lair. I secured the gondola and got out.

"Tamesis... What have you done...?" I asked, shocked.

"Clean!" She said, happy with herself. I almost tripped, I was so dazed.

"**_Tamesis!_**"

* * *

I'm not especially proud of this chapter, and it's been edited over a long period of time. So don't expect it to be very clear.  
But I still hope you like it. :D 


End file.
